ASM is seeking a license in order to process manuscripts for which any co-author is from countries under a trade embargo with the United States. At present such services are prohibited. Until the license is issued, ASM is ending review of manuscripts from affected countries.

ASM has joined with 47 other nonprofit publishers of scholarly journals in endorsing the DC Principles for Free Access to Science, representing a "middle ground" between immediate unrestricted online access to scientific research findings and the traditional journal publishing system.

The ASM audioconference, “Making Changes in the Microbiology Laboratory the Politically Correct Way, Part II” has been converted to an web-streaming format and is available. The audioconference, “SARS” has also been converted to an web-streaming format and is available. There is a charge to listen to this conference.

“Microbial Evolution: Gene Establishment, Survival, and Exchange,” edited by Robert V. Miller, Oklahoma State University, and Martin J. Day, Cardiff University, United Kingdom, is an essential introductory volume covering an area of research that has seen rapid development in recent years. With an emphasis on general themes, the book presents fundamental topics crucial to the understanding of microbial evolution. Significant technological changes of the past decade are presented, with discussion of and reference to the newest techniques employed in the field. Each chapter contains a selection of study questions, and each section concludes with a chapter summarizing highlights and themes presented in that section. Chapter references give broad coverage, and include general references for further reading suggestions, historical references, and specific references citing papers in a given subject area. This book provides an excellent overview of the field of bacterial evolution, particularly for students in the fields of microbiology and related life sciences, and it is an exemplary discussion of microbial evolution for practicing microbiologists.